100 Best Books for Children

Scholastic Parent & Child has named its 100 best books for children.  How many have you read?  What would you add (or remove) from this list?

Harris Burdick … the mysteries continue

More than 25 years ago, Chris Van Allsburg wrote a book that captured imaginations and got kids writing stories.

Van Allsburg, Chris (1984). The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Ages 5+).

Mr. Harris Burdick brought 14 pictures (complete with titles and captions) to a publisher, promising to bring the accompanying stories and some more pictures the next day.  He never returned.  Chris Van Allsburg, a friend of the publisher, saw the pictures and decided to put them all together in a book.  (That’s the story, at least, and Chris is sticking to it.)  This book has inspired creative writing assignments ever since.

It’s not only children who have found the pictures irresistible fodder for new stories.  Famous authors also think the pictures are intriguing.

Van Allsburg, Chris (2011). The Chronicles of Harris Burdick (Gr. 4-8).

That’s where this book comes in.  Take the 14 pictures from Mysteries, then add short stories from 14 well-known authors.  The stories are sometimes eerie, sometimes funny, and always just as mysterious as the original pictures.  Of course, no one knows what the real stories were, and even famous authors can only take their best guesses.  Would your stories turn out the same way?

The authors included in this compilation:
Lemony Snicket
Tabitha King
Jon Scieszka
Sherman Alexie
Gregory Maguire
Cory Doctorow
Jules Feiffer
Linda Sue Park
Walter Dean Myers
Lois Lowry
Kate DiCamillo
M. T. Anderson
Louis Sachar
Chris Van Allsburg
Stephen King

Dream Big!

Howe, James (2010). Brontorina (PreK-Gr. 2)

On the outside, Brontorina is a dinosaur (an apatosaurus, to be exact).  In her heart, however, she is a ballerina.  Madame Lucille has only one request of Brontorina: don’t squash the other dancers in her dance academy.  Brontorina plies, jetes, and arabesques with grace! But no one makes ballet slippers large enough, her head gouges the ceiling, and her tail gets in the way.  What will Brontorina and Madame Lucille do?

This is a sweet, simple, often funny story about following your dreams and (sometimes) changing your expectations to accommodate new ideas.

More new books!

I am always excited when I see boxes of new children’s books waiting to go on the shelf.  They’re so beautiful!  They’re so new!  They’re waiting for people just like you to read them!  Here are a few titles to get you started: stop by the children’s room to see even more.

Sylver, Adrienne (2010).  Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog (Gr. 1-3)
The hot dog has been around for centuries, and it’s been a popular American food ever since immigrants brought to the new world with them. President Franklin D. Roosevelt even hosted a hot-dog picnic for the King of England! This book tells you all about hot dogs: how they’re made, what people put on them, and the most famous hot dog sellers in the country.

Rash, Andy (2009). Are You a Horse? (Gr. K-3)
Cowboy Roy gets a spiffy saddle for his birthday … but he isn’t sure how to find a horse! Walking around the desert, he meets some other very interesting animals. Do you think he’ll find a horse for his saddle? This is a very funny book–especially the last page!

 

Pilkey, Dav (2010). The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future (Gr. 3-6)
If you liked Captain Underpants, you need to pick up this new book from the same author. Ook and Gluk, two caveboys, are transported to the future, where they learn kung-fu and go home to save their village (Caveland, Ohio). It’s wild, it’s zany, and it’s a ton of fun with flip-o-ramas in every chapter.